Foresight

Chapter XIX

"Excuse me sir" Jenny pokes her head in the gap between the glass door and the frame, warily opening the huge glass door to the office of her manager.

"Yes come in Jenny" Mr. D'souza answers, his eyes never leave the desktop screen he has been glaring for the past couple hours. With grayish streaks along his temple coming down to his sideburns which then extend all the way down to his gracefully maintained beard, Mr. D'souza doesn't look like a man who is pushing his fifties. With a brisk in his gait, command in his voice, Mr. D'souza is the poster man for an ideal executive. With a talent to identify his team members just from their voice, Mr. D'souza rarely ever has to peel his concentration from his work.

"Sir may I get a couple hours permission?" Jenny asks, with a noticeable fervor in her voice. This is enough to give Mt. D'souza a hint that Jenny is asking permission which does not involve any office work. Not wanting to startle her, he calmly pours himself a glass of water, while gesturing her to take a seat.

"What this permission would be for Jenny?" Mr. D'souza asks, his dark eyes piercing Jenny all the way to her soul. Always known for his no nonsense approach on almost everything, Jenny comes right to her point with his.

"Sir I met a guy on my last weekend vacation. He seemed like a very genuine guy and he just invited me for lunch. If I could get permission for 2 hours, I will just go and come back in a jiffy" Jenny blurts out without a breath.

"So you want my permission to go for a date huh?" Mr. D'souza questions, more like interrogates, like policeman would to a criminal.

"That would true sir" Jenny replies, with an audible gulp.

"What about the Fleischmann project? How are we looking at its progress?" Mr. D'souza asks about his recent project which was handed to him by the management. He had handed over this project to Jenny and her colleagues, as he had a bigger project to handle and also because this project will be crucial to Jenny's growth.

"We have good progress on it sir. I have met all the requirements they asked for it. I have also added a file explaining all the corrections done. I have prepared a file for contingency purposes, in case they experience any last minute problems. Tanvi is preparing her marketing file. She should be done with it by evening and we will present the project to you tomorrow first thing in the morning." Jenny explains, thinking that this may work in her favor.

"I have told you before itself Jenny. Don't prepare the contingency measure file before finishing the project completely. But you are already done with it." Mr. D'souza gives her a look of disappointment.

"Sir I made the contingency measure file simultaneously with the project file. So that in the end I don't miss out any point. And the contingency measure file is not closed. Tanvi is also updating it as she is making the marketing file and presentation." Jenny debates her point, though with a flutter in her voice.

'Good point and better approach. Jenny is growing' goes through Mr. D'souza's mind, though he replies with just a nod.

"Well you have my permission. Enjoy. Try to be back in 3 hours" Mr. D'souza answers with an assertive tone, which comes more like a command.

"Thank you sir" and Jenny heads for the door. As she is about to exit the cabin, Mr. D'souza looks up and calls her. "Why did you choose to go with truth. You could have said that you have some emergency at home and I would have given you the permission without a flinch. Why did you take the chance?" Mr. D'souza asks her. "Sir I just wanted to be honest. That way I don't have to hide anything from you in the future and you won't have the added tension to keep an eye on me" Jenny replies, with candor that can pierce any person with a steel heart.